Explanatory note

Part III of the Transport Act 2000 authorises the Secretary of State to make, amend or revoke a trunk road charging scheme in respect of roads for which the Secretary of State is the traffic authority, and which are carried by a bridge, or pass through a tunnel, of at least 600 metres in length. The M4 and M48 Motorways (Severn Bridges Charging Scheme) Order 2017 (“the 2017 Order”) introduced a charging scheme in respect of the roads carried by the Severn Bridges (“the bridges”).

Part I of this Order amends the 2017 Order to reduce the applicable charges for using the bridges in an east to west direction. These amendments will come into force on 17th December 2018 and will cease at 11:59pm on 31st December, when Part II of this Order comes into force. Part I allows the applicable charge for using the bridges to be reduced to zero, once works to enable motorists to drive directly through the toll plaza areas safely are completed on or shortly after the 17th December 2018.

Article 3 amends article 4 of the 2017 Order, which provides the charges that are to apply under the charging scheme. The charges imposed will continue at the rate introduced on 8th January 2018 by article 4(3) of the 2017 Order until an appointed person or a traffic sign direct vehicles to drive directly through the toll plaza areas, rather than via a toll booth, at which point the charges imposed will be reduced to zero. A new table is substituted for that in Schedule 1 to the 2017 Order and lists the appropriate charges applying to the three categories of vehicle under both article 4(3) and the inserted paragraph (3A).

Part II of the Order, at Article 6, revokes the 2017 Order at 11:59pm on 31st December 2018, at which point there will be no charging scheme applying to the bridges. Article 7 revokes the Severn Bridges Tolls Order 2017.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.